during growth, generally indicates the order in which the characters of
a species have been developed and modified during previous generations;
and as the newly-born infants of the various races of man do not differ
nearly as much in colour as do the adults, although their bodies are as
completely destitute of hair, we have some slight evidence that the
tints of the different races were acquired at a period subsequent to
the removal of the hair, which must have occurred at a very early
period in the history of man.
A SUMMARY.
We may conclude that the greater size, strength, courage, pugnacity,
and energy of man, in comparison with woman, were acquired during
primeval times, and have subsequently been augmented, chiefly through
the contests of rival males for the possession of the females. The
greater intellectual vigour and power of invention in man is probably
due to natural selection, combined with the inherited effects of habit,
for the most able men will have succeeded best in defending and
providing for themselves and for their wives and offspring. As far as
the extreme intricacy of the subject permits us to judge, it appears
that our male ape-like progenitors acquired their beards as an ornament
to charm or excite the opposite sex, and transmitted them only to their
male offspring. The females apparently first had their bodies denuded
of hair, also as a sexual ornament; but they transmitted this character
almost equally to both sexes. It is not improbable that the females
were modified in other respects for the same purpose and by the same
means; so that women have acquired sweeter voices and become more
beautiful than men.
It deserves attention that with mankind the conditions were in many
respects much more favourable for sexual selection, during a very early
period, when man had only just attained to the rank of manhood, than
during later times. For he would then, as we may safely conclude, have
been guided more by his instinctive passions, and less by foresight or
reason. He would have jealously guarded his wife or wives. He would not
have practised infanticide; nor valued his wives merely as useful
slaves; nor have been betrothed to them during infancy. Hence we may
infer that the races of men were differentiated, as far as sexual
selection is concerned, in chief part at a very remote epoch; and this
conclusion throws light on the remarkable fact that at the most ancient
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